Heathen Edition, $9.95, ISBN 978-1-948316-08-8
Horror, 2020 (Reissue)
As a card-carrying fan of William Hope Hodgson, I can’t help but marvel at how the man never seemed to take a day off during his career. It’s as though he had an endless supply of nightmarish visions to share with the world, each more bizarre than the last.
Whether he was conjuring up the eerie seascapes of The Ghost Pirates or crafting the eerie, claustrophobic atmosphere of The Boats of the Glen Carrig, Mr Hodgson was a master of blending horror with the unknown. The House on the Borderland stands as one of his crowning achievements, a work so surreal it practically begs you to take a second look.
If you’re a fan of weird horror, cosmic horror, or just have a thing for wandering through strange, nightmarish realms that may or may not be the result of eating bad clams, then The House on the Borderland is probably already in your collection. If not, well, perhaps it’s time to fix that before the universe decides to descend into chaos and you’re left in the dark, wondering how you missed this classic.
Published in 1908, this book is that influential—so influential, in fact, that reading it today might give you a serious case of déjà vu. But don’t blame Mr Hodgson; after all, many of the tropes you’re rolling your eyes at were probably borrowed from him by later writers.
The story itself is about as simple as it gets. We start with an unnamed protagonist—who needs names when you’re about to lose your mind— and his sidekick, Tonnison, who are on a fishing trip in rural Ireland. Naturally, they stumble upon an abyss (because that’s what you do in Ireland, wander into bottomless pits) and a mysterious journal.
What do they do? They read it, of course. I mean, it’s not like they’ve ever seen a creepy journal before, right? They pass it along to the author, who publishes it for us to enjoy. footnotes and all. Why leave out the academic flair when you’re talking about interdimensional horrors?
The journal belongs to an old man and his dog, living in a house that’s practically begging for a cosmic horror makeover. Picture it: a house so weird, it practically screams, “Come here, tentacled nightmares, I’ve got a room for you!”
This is where the fun begins. The old man starts having what could be hallucinations… or maybe not. It’s hard to tell when you’re tripping through time and space, encountering hostile beasts and realms that make you wonder if someone spiked your tea. It’s like an acid dream without the acid, and let’s be real, this old man is probably wishing he’d never moved into that place in the first place.
The novel’s charm lies in its spine-chilling atmosphere and surreal, dreamlike imagery. Mr Hodgson’s ability to blend elements of horror, science fiction, and fantasy into a single narrative is masterful. The shifting realities and otherworldly landscapes are so vivid, they practically leap off the page, and if you’re not careful, they might drag you into a dimension where your own sanity is a distant memory.
As I’ve mentioned, cosmic horror fans will recognize the familiar tropes, but Mr Hodgson elevates them with his unique narrative structure and lyrical prose. HP Lovecraft would be proud, or at least, quietly nodding in approval from his dimension of eldritch horror.
Of course, it’s not all smooth sailing through the void. Some readers might find the pacing a bit slow, or the surreal elements hard to follow, like trying to read a map written in invisible ink while being chased by a tentacled horror. But for those with a taste for the bizarre and the unsettling, this novel is a unique gem, with world-building so imaginative, it’s practically a blueprint for weird fiction.
In the grand scheme of horror and weird fiction, The House on the Borderland holds a special place not just on the bookshelf, but in the hearts of readers who like their nightmares served with a side of weird. It’s the kind of book that stays with you, lingering in your thoughts like the echo of a cosmic scream.
It comes gighly recommended for fans of the genre, especially those who haven’t read it yet… because if they haven’t, well, may Azathoth have mercy on their souls.
